Contrary to the view of some of his counterparts, Indian captain Rahul Dravid has
said minnows teams should be a part of the cricket World Cup for they add
character and charm to the competition.
They add a lot of character and charm to the event, Dravid
said after helping his team clinch a huge 182-run win against the Netherlands
in their first warm-up match here.
Former West Indian tearaway Michael Holding and Australian
captain Ricky Ponting believe the presence of the second-tier teams devalued
the mega-event.
Dravid said it was important to encourage the associate members by offering
them the platform to grow and overcome difficulties.
I think you have to encourage them to play and, having
myself played a season in Scotland, I know the difficulties the associate
nations and their players go through to play this game.
Many of them are amateurs, and take time off from work
to play the game, and keep it alive in their countries, so I think the International
Cricket Council has to do a lot to help them, and not just give them opportunities
in tournaments like this, he said.
The ICC has to identify four or five nations outside of the
top eight or nine, and ensure that they can get them up to a standard and provide
them with the facilities, training, and games to ensure that they are - at least
- semi-professional which will help them improve their standard, he added
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